abbey ling thorley
production design & creative direction
about 
cv download
sydney, australia / hong kong
studio@abbeylings.com

Abbey Ling Thorley is a Hong Kong–Australian production designer known for developing emotionally grounded, character-led environments across award-winning films and documentaries.

The Shirt Off Your Back


Narrative | 9 Mins

“A dark fairy tale about two brothers who re-live a strange encounter with a man on Christmas Day, their memories shifting until the truth becomes something unknowable—something that quietly, irrevocably changes them.”

Trailer via MUBI

Finalist, AACTA Best Short Film (2026)

Official Selection, Melbourne International Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, Sydney Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, CinefestOz (2025)

Official Selection, BeyondFest LA (2025)

Official Selection, Adelaide Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, Canberra Short Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, Central Coast Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, Brisbane International Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, POFF / Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (2025)


Director & Writer David Robinson-Smith
Executive Producers Julie Ryan, Jeff Harrison, Joseph Perkins
Producers Julia Corcoran, Ari Harrison
Prod Co Umbrella Entertainment, Sanctuary Pictures, Ripple Pictures
Financed in association with ARC
Supported by the Australian Cinematographers Society’s John Leake OAM ACS Award
Cinematographer Jaclyn Paterson
Production Designer Abbey Ling Thorley
Costume Laura Bracken
Editor Phoebe Taylor
Sound Design Wade Keighran
Score Wade Keighran, Joel Byrne






The Eviction


Narrative | 14 Mins

“After a troubling incident, a group of university students face an ethical dilemma: whether or not to evict one of their own.”

Winner, VicScreen Erwin Rado Award Best Australian Short, Melbourne International Film Festival (2025)

Finalist, Best Live Action Australian Short, Sydney Film Festival (2025)


Director & Writer Rebecca Metcalf
Producers David Ma, Yiani Andrikidis, Rebecca Metcalf
Cinematographer Dimitri Zaunders
Production Designer Abbey Ling Thorley
Costume Laura Bracken
Editor Steve Shaw
Composer Mara Schwerdtfeger



Spiders On My Lashline


Upcoming Short

“Covered in blood following an attack, genderqueer Ash seeks catharsis through a church confessional. As they feverishly recall memories that led them to the present day, Ash emerges from the darkness, finding strength and power for revenge.”

Director Grace Tan
Producers Debbie Zhou, Ebube Uba, Louise Todd-Smith
DOP Jaclyn Paterson
Production Designer Abbey Ling Thorley
Costume Designer Marisa Suen
HMUA Carly Lim, Layla Naidoo, Brianna Galbutt, Anna Kowalski
Editor Will Suen
VFX Gary Yeung, Paul Courtney

On Set Art Director Ella Drinkwater
Standby Props Indigo Ryan
Buyer/Dressers Corah Fortune, Elena Hale
Art Assist Sian Pannach


Agoge


Narrative | 14 minutes

“Placed in detention after a physical altercation on the school playground, two teenage boys find their developing friendship challenged by the limits of their emotional honesty.”

Official Selection, Palm Springs International Film Festival (2025)

Official Selection, Flickerfest (2025)


Director Veniamin Gialouris
Writers Veniamin Gialouris & Marcus Khoudair
Producers Adam Daniel & Marco Alexiadis
Cinematography Petra Leslie
Production Design Abbey Ling Thorley
Costume Design Tess Strelein
Editor James A. Thomas
Sound Designer Jonathan Mendolicchio
Starring Nick Annas, Marley Hayward, Jagger Leigh & Julian Maroun


To Become A Lion


Documentary | 6 Mins

“A martial arts master traces the evolution of lion dancing mapped through his path to teaching.”

Full film on Youtube via NY Times Op Docs
NY Times Learning Network Film Club
Webby Awards Win

Winner, Best Art Direction People’s Voice Video & Film, The Webby Awards (2025)

Commissioned by The Powerhouse Museum
Released through New York Times Op Docs
Director David Ma
Producer Georgia Noe
EP Callum Cooper
DOP Jack McAvoy
1st AC Cameron Robertson
Production Designer Abbey Ling Thorley
Gaffer Nico Galbandian
Sound Recordist Stuart Melvey, Mara Scherdtfeger
Editor David Ma
Colourist Yanni Kronenberg
VFX Kenneth Zeng 
Score, Sound Design, Mix Mara Schwerdtfeger
Title Design Sylvia Zheng




Eat Up!


Narrative | 17 Mins

“In a future of synthetic food, a prodigious flavour designer, whose new portable food printer promises to launch her career, discovers the lost art of cooking and a human connection science cannot simulate.”

Nominated, APDG Awards Emerging Designer (2025)

Nominated, Best Australian Short, Flickerfest (2025)

Official Selection, Heart Of Gold International Film Festival (2025)


Finalist, Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival (2025)

Director Yuxin Cao
Producers Denis Curnow, Emily Bull, Neisha Dallamora
Writer
Roslyn Zhang
Cinematographer
Jesse Phillips
Production & Costume Design
Abbey Ling Thorley
Editor
Elita Guo
Music
Ray Lin
Sound Design
Andrew Dean

Art Coordinator Lily Currey Billyard
Standby Props Charli Dugdale
Buyer Dressers Craig Bornstein, Sheree Tam
Art Department Assists Elise Zeman, Jordan Taylor, Eden Colley, Ella Drinkwater, Jay Zhao
Standby Wardrobe Kavyaa Gohil
Construction Kathrin Davis, Annie Wright, Jasmine Bishop
2D Animator Cronulla Folk
Signage Design Gege Ze
VFX Jordan Spiteri
HMUA Angela Brookes 
HMUA Livia Shi 
BTS Flore Vallery-Radot





So Beautiful


Upcoming Short

“A work that considers how sign languages around the world are commodified and separated from deaf people for hearing people’s pleasure and profit. It explores the erasure of Deaf people from sign language in art, film and education. It takes a fairytale approach featuring international Deaf dancer Anna Seymour as an Auslan sprite, embodying sign language itself as a creature of wonderment and Deaf rage.”

Commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art
Director Sofya Gollan
Producer Rebecca Janek
1st AD Keelan Betts
DOP Justine Kerrigan
Production Designer Abbey Ling Thorley
Infrared Code Designer Fausto Brusamolino
HMUA Helen Tuck
Costume Designer Jo Woodcroft
Editor Geordie Anderson
Gaffer Storm Ashwood
AC

Choreographer Anca Frankenhaeuser
Safety Report Hamish Young
Interpreters Isabella Haigh, Nat Kull, Alisa Blakenev, Sam Rutherford



A Living Instrument


Documentary | 4 Mins

“Musician Hamed Sadeghi relives an influential time in Iran’s music history through the Persian tar – a six-stringed instrument from the Powerhouse Collection.”

Watch on Youtube via Nowness
Read more on The Powerhouse Museum

Commissioned by The Powerhouse Museum
Released by Nowness
Director, Editor, Colourist
Hyun Lee
Producer Georgia Noe
Cinematographer Elijah Flores
1st AC Joshua Ortiguerra
Production Design Abbey Ling Thorley
Gaffer Maxed Out Films
Steadicam Operator Aaron Bull
Sound Recordist, Digital Producer Mara Schwerdtfeger
Title Design Rekha Dhanaram


Echo Point


Upcoming Narrative Short

“Drawn to an ominous location during a solitary mountain hike, a lonely young man must confront the awful truth of its past events.”

Director Adam Daniel
Cinematographer Jeremy Mark
Production Designer & Costume Designer Abbey Ling Thorley



Domme


Narrative | 6 Mins

“Monique, armed with palm cards and latex boots, prepares for a romantic evening of kink. As she navigates her partner’s peculiar sexual preferences, she explores the murky depths of desire and self-discovery. Starring Megan Smart.”

Official Selection, LoveBites Shorts, Flickerfest 2025

Official Selection, Sydney Underground Film Festival, 2025

Director Lindsay McDonald
Screenplay by Natasha Henry
Story by/Producer Neisha Dallamora
Cinematographer Sam Bader
Production & Costume Designer Abbey Ling Thorley
Editor Elita Guo
Music Naomi Geste
Sound Designer Sean Walker